Plasma actuating propulsion system for aerial vehicles

ABSTRACT

A plasma propulsion nozzle incorporates a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers is cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle. A voltage source applies a periodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is copending with application Ser. No. 12/273,650 filed on Nov. 19, 2008 entitled Disbanded Cascaded Array for Generating and Moving Plasma Clusters for Active Airflow Control having a common assignee with the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Field

Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to the field aircraft propulsion and more particularly to cylindrically concentric dielectric barrier discharge electrodes incorporated in a nozzle for inducing momentum change by plasma creation and expulsion in a propulsive airflow for thrust generation.

2. Background

Light weight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being employed in numerous observation, surveying and mapping tasks. In certain cases for a small or micro-/nano-UAV (uAV/nAV) the operating envelope presumes a part of a mission to be conducted at the low or extremely low altitudes (sub-meter to several meters). The operational requirements typically further require a propulsion mechanism which operates in a quiet and hardly detectable manner. Traditional and advanced means of providing power for such uAV and nAV applications include improved turboprops and flapping wings. Such systems can be mechanically complex and require power transformation (electrical to mechanical) using several stages. Plasma propulsion system consisting of a single dielectric-barrier discharge unit have been employed but lack efficiency and power

It is therefore desirable to provide an efficient propulsion plant for a small UAV. It is also desirable to provide a propulsion mechanism which would. Operate in a quiet and hardly detectable manner.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a dielectric barrier discharge device for accelerating an air flow for propelling a vehicle which incorporates a nozzle having upstream and downstream ends. A dielectric barrier layer is present along the entire inside periphery of the nozzle. A first annular electrode extends around the inside periphery of the upstream end of the nozzle and external to the dielectric barrier layer. A second annular electrode extends around the inside periphery of the nozzle, downstream of the first annular electrode, and internal to the dielectric barrier layer. A plurality of annular electrodes extends around the inside periphery of the nozzle, downstream of the first and second annular electrodes, internal to the dielectric barrier layer, and in a cascading array terminating at the nozzle downstream end.

In one example a plasma propulsion nozzle incorporates a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers is cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle. A voltage source applies aperiodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust.

An unmanned air vehicle may be created with the embodiment employing a blended wing body and attaching at least one plasma propulsion nozzle incorporating a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers is cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle. A voltage source applies aperiodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust.

In a method to produce thrust using the embodiments, air is introduced through the inlet into the interior chamber of the nozzle. A periodic voltage signal is applied to provide a differential voltage between paired electrodes in adjacent plasma generation units. Toroidal plasma clusters are created at each plasma generation unit in a first phase and expelled in a second phase introducing momentum change into the air in the interior chamber for exit through the nozzle outlet.

The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view with a 90-degrees cross-section of a cascaded array of electrodes configured cylindrically in a plasma propulsion nozzle

FIG. 2 is a side section view of the plasma propulsion nozzle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a is a side section view pictorially demonstrating plasma formation on the electrode array;

FIG. 3 b is aside section view pictorially demonstrating plasma expulsion by the electrode array;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment for voltage supply to the electrode array;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment for voltage supply to the electrode array;

FIG. 6A-6E are rear views of exemplary installations of plasma propulsion nozzles as embodied in FIG. 1 on a micro UAV.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the method of operation of a plasma propulsion nozzle as embodied in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a dielectric-barrier discharge phenomena-based device incorporating a cascade of the plasma actuating electrodes concentrically arranged in a nozzle with an inlet and outlet to generate ionic plasma during a first operational stage and to move the plasma clusters providing thrust during a second operational stage. The second stage provides a fast polarity change in the electrodes which directionally accelerates plasma clusters, thereby producing thrust through ionic wind. This process of altering the stages is repeated at the rate 0.01-30 kHz, providing a steady ionic flow from the thruster nozzle. A relatively low, but wide range of velocity (1-15 mils) from the thruster provides primary propulsion for a small (micro- or nano-) UAV. The nozzle system provides a silent, reduced footprint solution for any application that may require non-disturbing or undetectable operations through altitudes from less than a meter up to between one and two thousands of meters. The efficiency of the thruster is increased due to regulation of power consumption according to the operating envelope through adjusting applied power for the desired intensity of the ionic flow, or manipulating a duty cycle. An effect of the bulk generating of plasma by a cascade of electrodes significantly increases ionic flow compared to a configuration with a single pair of electrodes.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a cylindrical plasma propulsion nozzle 10 with a dielectric barrier 11 having planarly disbanded annular electrodes 12 with sandwiched dielectric spacers 14 cascaded to be concentrically expanding from an inlet 16 through an interior chamber 17 to an outlet 18 for the nozzle. Typical thickness of the dielectric spacers varies from several tens to several hundreds of microns (˜20 microns 200 microns). The electrodes, including the portions buried within the dielectric spacers, have typical thickness of several hundreds of microns to a millimeter (˜200 microns-1 mm). Each electrode and dielectric pair in the cascade constitutes a plasma generation unit 20 a, 20 b, 20 c-20 n for creating a plasma field. As shown in FIG. 2, the cascaded array of plasma generators may be constructed so that for plasma generation unit 20 a, dielectric 22 a is sandwiched between the electrodes 24 a and 24 b, for plasma generation unit 20 b, the dielectric 22 b is sandwiched between the electrodes 24 b and 24 c, and so on to dielectric 22 n−1 which is sandwiched between electrodes 24 n−1 and 24 n. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the electrodes are slightly longer than the associated dielectric. The cascaded electrodes with interspersed dielectric results in increasing diameters, 25 a, 25 b, 25 c, 25 d-25 n at each plasma generation unit. While shown as cylindrical with expansion based on thicknesses of the electrodes and dielectric layers, the electrodes and interspersed dielectric layers may be non-planar and/or of varying length and thickness for optimizing plasma generation and expulsion and to provide a varying profile for the interior chamber 17 from inlet 16 to outlet 18 in alternative embodiments.

Generation of plasma clusters from air entering through the inlet 16 occurs at each plasma generation unit 20 a, 20 b, 20 c-20 n by application of a differential voltage to the electrode associated with the generation unit and its pair electrode as will be described in greater detail subsequently. While the embodiments are describe herein with respect to an open air inlet, alternative supplied gaseous fluid may be employed in a closed system. As shown in FIG. 3A, substantially toroidal, or ring like, plasma clusters 26 a, 26 b, 26 c-26 n−1 form over each dielectric 22 a, 22 b, 22 c-22 n−1 of each plasma generation unit. The electrodes are grouped with an immediately adjacent electrode in pairs 28 a, 28 b, 28 c-28 n. Application of a voltage differential to the electrode pairs in aperiodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity creates an expulsion of the plasma clusters which are then moved towards the outlet of the nozzle and outside generating momentum transfer to the surrounding air during a second phase of the signal as shown notionally in FIG. 3B with the expelled plasma clusters shown as 26 a′, 26 b′, 26 c′ 26 n−1′ creating induced airflow through the nozzle.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, application of voltage to the electrodes is accomplished whereby the electrodes 24 a and 24 b in electrode pair 28 a may define a voltage relative to one another across the dielectric 22 a based on voltage V1 from voltage supply 30 a and voltage V2 from voltage supply 30 b. In response to a first phase (or half) of a cycle of this voltage, gas or air proximate the area 32 a may ionize, to form a plasma cluster 26 a as shown and described with respect to FIG. 3A.

In a similar manner, the electrodes 24 b and 24 c in electrode pair 28 b may define a voltage across the dielectric 22 b based on voltage V2 from supply 30 b and V3 from supply 30 c, causing generation of the plasma cluster 26 b as shown and described with respect to FIG. 3A. The voltage variation continues for the electrode pairs 28 c-28 n wherein the electrodes 24 n and the previous electrode 24 n−1 (not shown) may define a voltage across the dielectric 22 n−1, causing generation of the plasma cluster 26 n−1 as shown and described with respect to FIG. 3A.

For example, with respect to FIG. 4 assuming aperiodic input waveform from voltage sources 30 a-30 n that represents variable power source phase offset at each alternate voltage source to provide the desired voltage differential between electrode pairs, the formation of clusters shown in FIG. 3A may occur during one phase of the power source, while the expulsion of the clusters shown in FIG. 3B may occur during a subsequent phase of the power source. In one example, an alternating-current (AC) power source is employed.

An alternative power source network for voltage input to the electrodes shown in FIG. 5 allows a periodic waveform generated by a single voltage source 34 to be phase adjusted for each electrode pair using appropriate resistors R0, 36, R1, 38 a, R2, 38 b, R3, 38 c to Rn, 38 n and associated aggregated capacities C1, 40 a, C2, 40 b, C3, 40 c through Cn, 40 n. For phase adjustment, alternative circuit networks such as a resistor/inductor network, or resistor/capacitor/inductor network may be employed as passive networks. Alternatively, a phase delay can be implemented using an actively controlled electronic circuit. The power networks in FIGS. 4 and 5 are merely examples and not intend to limit the scope encompassed by the disclosed embodiments.

For an exemplary embodiment, the voltage supplies 30 a-30 n or the voltage source 34 are high voltage supplies and several hundred volts to several kilovolts (˜200V-2 kV) are applied across the electrode pairs providing a high voltage signal with a frequency of 0.01-30 kHz. Electrode pairs can be activated selectively such that the intensity of the outflow and resulting thrust can be regulated. Timing of accelerating the clusters away from their origin is regulated by a control system 42 such as a wave generator which controls the voltage output of the voltage source(s). The control system may also select and supply the profile of the cyclic voltage to be applied.

The input waveforms may take forms other than a sinusoidal AC input, without departing from the scope and spirit of this description. Examples of such other forms may include, but are not limited to rectangular waveforms, saw-toothed waveforms, triangular waveforms, waveforms having non-uniform or non-standard duty cycles, and other waveforms not specifically illustrated herein. In general, different waveforms may be chosen or customized as suitable for the circumstances of particular implementation scenarios to achieve particular predefined plasma generating and displacement effects.

Installation of one or more plasma propulsion nozzles 10 on a uAV or nAV may be accomplished as shown in FIGS. 6A-6E for a notional airframe 50. Viewed from the rear, the nozzles 10 may be mounted on an upper surface above or a lower surface below wings 52 extending from a blended wing body fuselage 54 as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, or housed internally in a nozzle bay 56 in the fuselage as shown in FIG. 6D or with two plasma propulsion nozzles on the wing tips as shown in FIG. 6E. The plasma propulsion nozzles may be the only source of thrust for the air vehicle or may be used in combination with conventional propulsion systems to provide stealth mode operation in which the convention propulsion units are deactivated.

Operation of the plasma propulsion nozzle is shown in FIG. 7, Air is introduced through an inlet into the interior chamber of the nozzle, step 702. A periodic voltage signal is applied to provide a differential voltage between paired electrodes in adjacent plasma generation units to create toroidal plasma clusters at each plasma generation unit in a first phase of the cycle, step 704, and expel the plasma clusters in a second phase of the cycle, step 706, introducing momentum change into the air in the interior chamber for exit through the nozzle outlet to produce thrust, step 708. Thrust produced by the nozzle can be controlled by varying the frequency, wave shape and amplitude of the periodic voltage signal, step 710.

Having now described various embodiments of the disclosure in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications are within the scope and intent of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cascaded dielectric barrier discharge device for accelerating an air flow for propelling a vehicle, comprising: a nozzle having upstream and downstream ends; a dielectric barrier layer along the entire inside periphery of the nozzle; a first annular electrode around the inside periphery of the upstream end of the nozzle and external to the dielectric barrier layer; a second annular electrode around the inside periphery of the nozzle, downstream of the first annular electrode, and internal to the dielectric barrier layer; and a plurality of annular electrodes around the inside periphery of the nozzle, downstream of the first and second annular electrodes, internal to the dielectric barrier layer, and in cascading clusters terminating at the nozzle downstream end.
 2. The dielectric barrier discharge device of claim 1, further comprising a high voltage source for supplying a high voltage signal to the first, second and plurality of annular electrodes.
 3. The dielectric barrier discharge device of claim 1, wherein said first, second, and plurality of electrodes cooperate to generate a plasma field in said nozzle that creates an induced air flow within said nozzle, said induced air flow adapted to accelerate said fluid flow as said air flow moves through said nozzle.
 4. The dielectric barrier discharge device of claim 1, wherein a rapid polarity change applied to said first, second, and plurality of electrodes directionally accelerates said plasma field producing thrust through ionic wind.
 5. A plasma propulsion nozzle comprising: a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet; a plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle; and, a voltage source applying a periodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust.
 6. The plasma propulsion nozzle of claim 5 wherein the electrodes are between 200 microns and 1 millimeter in thickness.
 7. The plasma propulsion nozzle of claim 5 wherein the dielectric spacers are between 20 to 200 microns in thickness.
 8. The plasma propulsion nozzle of claim 5 wherein the periodic signal ov the voltage source is between 0.01-30 kHz.
 9. The plasma propulsion nozzle of claim 5 wherein the voltage source supplies between 200 volts and 2 kV.
 10. A method for thrust generation with a plasma propulsion nozzle having an array of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers cascaded to be concentrically expanding from an inlet through an interior chamber to an outlet for a nozzle, comprising: introducing air through the inlet into the interior chamber of the nozzle; applying a periodic voltage signal to provide a differential voltage between paired electrodes in adjacent plasma generation units; creating toroidal plasma clusters at each plasma generation unit in a first phase; and expelling the plasma clusters in a second phase introducing momentum change into the air in the interior chamber for exit through the nozzle outlet to produce thrust.
 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising controlling thrust produced by the nozzle by varying the periodic voltage signal.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein varying the periodic voltage signal comprises varying the frequency of the periodic voltage signal.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein varying the periodic voltage signal comprises varying the wave shape of the periodic voltage signal.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein varying the periodic voltage signal comprises varying the amplitude of the periodic voltage signal.
 15. An unmanned air vehicle comprising: a blended wing body; at least one plasma propulsion nozzle attached to the wing body having a cylinder including an inlet and an outlet; a plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle; and a voltage source applying a periodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust.
 16. The unmanned air vehicle as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least one plasma propulsion nozzle comprises a plurality of plasma propulsion nozzles mounted to an upper surface of the wing body.
 17. The unmanned air vehicle as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least one plasma propulsion nozzle comprises a first plurality of plasma propulsion nozzles mounted to an upper surface of the wing body and a second plurality of plasma propulsion nozzles mounted to a lower surface of the wing body.
 18. The unmanned air vehicle as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least one plasma propulsion nozzle is mounted in a nozzle bay in the wing body.
 19. The unmanned air vehicle as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least one plasma propulsion nozzle comprises two plasma propulsion nozzles, one mounted on each wing tip of the wing body. 